Virgin Atlantic appoints 10-year-old Billy Yeomans as ‘air-prentice'

Virgin Atlantic has appointed 10-year-old Billy Yeomans to test and approve the airline's newly refurbished 747 fleet, as he wins a competition to become Sir Richard Branson’s ‘air-prentice'.

Billy was chosen from over 600 applicants to become the airline's first junior approvals manager; a job which saw him create a full report for Branson on the newly refitted 747 fleet, after extensive testing of the food, in-flight entertainment system and redesigned seats.

Billy will also become a sounding board for all child-focused developments undertaken by the airline.

He said: "I gave the plane a really thorough inspection and could've sat for hours watching movies and playing on the games, even the food was quite tasty although it doesn't beat my Mum's home cooking. When I grow up I'd love to be a pilot."

Sir Richard Branson added: "As a child I was mad about planes and the sense of adventure and excitement of being in the sky. We wanted to find someone who feels the same way as I still do about flying. Billy was the perfect young man for the job and he is going to be giving our newly refitted 747s the once over; watching films, eating our food and rating our wonderful cabin crew. Hopefully he'll have great fun doing it too."